Everything Greg said sounded perfectly natural, exactly like what you would expect from a survivor desperate to fit into a new community and cling to a little hope for the future.
Gabriel had no suspicions at all. On the contrary, he saw it as a good sign that Greg was beginning to regain his faith and was willing to take responsibility. He smiled gently and began describing the place with a hint of pride.
"The prison is actually one of our outposts. There aren't many people here, but everyone is very close. Rick, T-Dog, Jacqui, Boone, Tyreese, Sasha... they're all strong, dependable people. As for Rock Fortress..."
Gabriel's voice unconsciously took on a note of longing and awe.
"That's what we truly rely on. I've heard from people who've been there that it's enormous, surrounded by high walls. Inside, it's almost like a small town. There are industrial areas, farmland, livestock areas, workshops, a library, and even hot springs!
"The Commander of Rock Fortress leads the place. Rick and the others say she's very farsighted and decisive.
"But I think she's also incredibly fortunate. God must be watching over her. He helped her build a sanctuary like that so people like us could survive."
Greg listened intently, then asked with apparent amazement, "It must take a lot of people to defend a place like that, right? People as capable as the ones who rescued us? Rock Fortress must be practically impregnable. That's incredible..."
Gabriel wasn't a military man, so he knew little about the actual details of Rock Fortress's defenses. Still, since the apocalypse began, it was rare for him to meet someone who trusted him so completely and seemed so devoted to God. He patiently shared what little he had heard.
"Yes, security is very tight. There are watchtowers, patrols, and I've even heard they have helicopters. The commander takes security very seriously."
He paused, then added, "So Greg, being sent there for a more thorough examination and treatment is actually a good thing. They have much better facilities."
"Sent there?"
Greg's heart sank.
He immediately grabbed the iron bars. "Father, are you saying I'm going to be sent away soon? Away from here, to Rock Fortress?"
Only then did Gabriel realize he had let the information slip.
Seeing how frightened Greg looked, he hurried to reassure him.
"Don't be afraid, Greg. This isn't a bad thing.
"Rock Fortress has better facilities and professional doctors. They'll be able to give you a much more thorough evaluation. It's just procedure, both to make sure everyone is safe and to make sure you receive the care you need."
"Procedure? Evaluation?"
Wouldn't that mean he'd be exposed?
Instead of fading, the fear in Greg's eyes only deepened.
"Father, at least here in the prison, you're willing to listen to me. But once I get there, I'll be surrounded by stricter people I've never met. They'll look at me like some monster that crawled out of hell and question me over and over, examining everything I say. I..."
He shrank back slightly, as though already imagining the cold treatment waiting for him.
"Will they lock me up forever? Or decide I'm dangerous and get rid of me? Father, please. I don't want to leave. I don't want to be taken somewhere unfamiliar again!"
Gabriel's heart clenched.
He completely understood Greg's fear. Being escorted from one prison to a much larger, more institutionalized place controlled by a commander who sounded cold and severe could easily seem like escaping a wolf's den only to fall into a tiger's lair, especially to a young man who had just escaped a nightmare and was already emotionally fragile.
Gabriel himself still had doubts about the commander he had never met.
"Don't think like that, Greg," Gabriel said, trying to comfort him, though his voice was no longer as confident as before. "Rock Fortress is also meant to protect people. Maybe... maybe it won't be as bad as you think."
"No, Father. I have a feeling..."
Greg raised his head, his eyes pleading.
"I heard Zhou and his men are the ones escorting me. Those soldiers are very strict. What happens on the road? What if... what if they decide I'm a burden, or that I'm still a threat..."
He let the sentence trail off.
Combined with his trembling body, the implication of some "accident" happening along the way was painfully clear.
A bold and dangerous plan quickly began to take shape in Greg's mind.
He couldn't go to Rock Fortress.
Absolutely not.
The facilities there were better, the personnel more professional, and the risk of someone seeing through his act would increase dramatically.
He had to escape on the road.
And the soft-hearted, overly idealistic priest standing in front of him might be the only person willing to help.
Greg lowered his voice and gripped the bars so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Father Gabriel, please help me. Before they send me away, please let me go!
"I swear to you, once I leave, I'll stay far away. I'll never hurt anyone. I just... I just want to breathe freely again. I want to find somewhere empty, repent in solitude, and live quietly. Please..."
Let him go?
Gabriel was stunned.
No matter how much sympathy he had for Greg, he still had basic common sense.
Secretly releasing someone Rick had detained and who was about to be transferred wasn't merely disobeying an order. It would practically amount to betraying the entire community.
His expression changed, and he instinctively took half a step back.
"Greg, I can't do that. I absolutely can't. I understand that you're afraid, but running away isn't the answer..."
Seeing Gabriel's reaction, Greg immediately realized that asking him to help with an escape wasn't going to work.
But he didn't give up.
His mind raced.
If Gabriel couldn't let him go, then maybe... he could come along?
Having someone sympathetic to him nearby might create an opportunity. At the very least, it would give Greg another layer of protection.
He immediately changed tactics.
"I'm sorry, Father. I'm being selfish. I'm just so scared. I shouldn't have asked you to do something that would put you in such a difficult position.
"I just feel so helpless. When I think about those cold soldiers escorting me somewhere I've never been, I..."
Greg began to sob.
Then, as though suddenly grasping at his last hope, he looked up at Gabriel.
"Father Gabriel, if you can't let me go... could you come with me?"
Gabriel froze.
Greg immediately pressed on, his tone humble and pleading.
"If you're there beside me, it'll feel like one of God's apostles is walking with me. I'd feel safer. I wouldn't be so afraid.
"And if they really treat me unfairly once we reach Rock Fortress, or try to do something to me, then at least you'll be there. You could witness what happens and speak for me.
"You represent God's mercy and justice... Please, Father. I don't want to face whatever's waiting for me all alone."
Once again, Greg had chosen exactly the right words.
Justice and mercy.
Both struck directly at Gabriel's heart.
Accompany the escort?
That sounded far more reasonable than secretly setting Greg free.
Gabriel hesitated.
On one hand, he knew he had no business getting involved in a military escort mission.
On the other, Greg's desperate plea, his fear of being treated unjustly, and the way he looked to Gabriel as a symbol of fairness all appealed directly to Gabriel's sense of duty as a priest, as well as his deep desire to atone for his own past cowardice.
Besides, Gabriel had heard that the road between the prison and Rock Fortress had already been cleared repeatedly by the Defense Force. It was relatively safe, with few large hordes of walkers.
Perhaps it wasn't impossible after all.
"I... I'll have to ask Rick."
Gabriel didn't agree outright, but his tone had clearly softened.
"Thank you! Thank you for at least considering it!"
Greg immediately looked overwhelmed with gratitude, as though Gabriel had already said yes.
"God bless you, Father Gabriel! You're the brightest light I've seen in this dark world!"
Gabriel left the cell with a troubled expression, his mind weighed down by what Greg had asked of him.
...
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